Jewel of the Elephant Coast

Juwel der Elefantenküste - Afrikas Wunderland Isimangaliso

South Africa's Isimangaliso National Park, which in the Zulu language simply means «wonder», is home to the so-called «big five»- elephants, rhinoceroses, buffaloes, lions and leopards. Covering 3,280 km2 (2,038 square miles) right alongside the sea, this «wonderland» offers incomparable biodiversity with a correspondingly wide range of species in its extensive wetlands, swamps, savannah and coastal forests. Opening up the region to eco-tourism is not just intended to benefit the local economy; it is also the central strategy for sustainable development and nature conservation. Isimangaliso was listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in 1999.